Dramatis Personae
by Shinga
Summary: A malevolent and unseen enemy has drawn an unsuspecting few together in an unfamiliar world, fighting for each of their missing loved ones. Can they bind together and defeat their enemy and save the ones they cherish? FMA, Trigun, Sailor Moon, Gargoyles S


**TITLE**: **Dramatis Personae**

_The Masks of the Drama_

**I. Terra Incognita**

_"Unknown Land"_

**AUTHOR**: Shinga

**RATING**: PG-13

**SERIES**: Full Metal Alchemist, Trigun, Gargoyles and Sailor Moon. Various other cameos will be credited as needed. Contains **_spoilers_** for all of them. _You've been warned._

**SUMMARY**: A malevolent and unseen enemy has drawn an unsuspecting few together in an unfamiliar world, fighting for each of their missing loved ones. Can they bind together and defeat their enemy and save the ones they cherish?

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

_Breathe. Pulse. Beat._

_It seemed like the first time in her life that such a feeling had washed over her. Such a freedom, exhilarating and fresh. For what seemed like an eternity she merely stood, reveling in the power pounding through her stronger than her own blood. A small smile turned her lips only slightly. Ah, to smile... it was the first time she'd ever had a reason to._

_They couldn't touch her here._

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

It had been three days.

Edward Elric turned his face up towards the sun that was just barely shining through the treetops. The warmth on his skin was genuine. The breeze cooling him was real. But even after nearly half a week he could still not fully accept it. Even after watching, with his own eyes, what happened.

He and Al had been reunited only two short years before. Stuck in a world without alchemy he had initially been miserable, but when Al joined him, all seemed at least right enough. They traveled this world together, roaming with no home to claim, but they had each other. Al's shining optimism and bright smile kept Ed strong even through the hardest of times. It was something no one else could claim to do.

They had been camping with Gypsies again. Ed remembered the tent vividly... Al was asleep, but Ed lay awake. He could hear the music, and see the silhouettes of the dancing figures around the fire. Every night the Gypsies could bring darkness to life, making it theirs. Something about it helped Ed relax. Sometimes he would sit around the fire with them and watch. Al would clap his hands and laugh, and sometimes he would dance with the Gypsy girls, though he wasn't very good at it.

As Ed lay thinking about the music, it very suddenly stopped, replaced with screams. He sat straight up, grabbing Al's shoulder to rouse him.

"Brother?" Al asked groggily. "What is it..." he stopped when he too heard the cries. He nearly leapt out of his thin blankets as they both scrambled to their feet and ran out of the tent.

The Gypsies had ran, leaving their instruments and food behind. Al began to call for them, but Ed stood still, his eyes drawn to the fire. He felt his blood chill and he knew why they'd fled. "Al..." he said in a bare whisper. Al looked.

The fire was taller than the both of them, blazing white and dancing much like the Gypsies had before.

"Brother..." was all Al could manage to say as he gripped Ed's flesh arm tightly. They both watched the fire twirling and flickering. It took a while before Ed realized that the fire gave off no heat... in fact, he felt colder. And something else seemed to pulse through him each time the fire flared. Something cruel, something full of passion that made his heart freeze. Most of all his mind was straining to explain this, to give it some sort of explanation... but this was something new. This wasn't this world's science, or even Alchemy.

"We should leave," Ed began to say, but he was cut short when the fire suddenly gave a burst and separated, shooting around the tents in tentacle-like appendages.

"Brother!" Al screamed, trying to grab Ed and run, but the white flames were too quick. In a blast of ice and fury the fire slammed into the brothers. Ed was silent as the sheer passion of this thing knocked the wind out of him. He could only vaguely feel Al's hand still gripping his arm desperately. If Al screamed, he didn't hear it.

The Gypsy camp disappeared around them. Ed's eyes burned as they were met by pure white. He hung limp in something like purgatory. He turned his head to see Al just as silent as he was.

"Al?" he managed to ask, his voice weak and dead in the air.

Al didn't react. Ed tried to call him again, louder, but a sudden sound deafened them. The feeling of ice-cold fury crept up Ed's skin like thousands of insects, hissing in his ear. And briefly Ed believed in Hell as he turned to see Al again. Something was grabbing his younger brother. Dozens of arms made from white fire.

"Al! AL!" Ed cried, trying to shake off the feeling of insects and ignore the sounds in his ear. Al's eyes were blank as the arms pulled him and his brother apart. As the white fire took Al away, ignoring Ed's hoarse screaming, the surrounding area began to turn dark. By the time Ed was surrounded by blank, Al was out of sight.

Ed didn't remember what happened after that. He only knew that three days ago he woke up in a small cottage. People in strange clothes with kind faces were caring for him. They told him they'd found him out in their wheat field, in a heavy sleep and as naked as the day he was born. Ed had grew hot around the ears when they told him this, especially when their young daughter began to giggle.

He had regained his strength and thanked them for their trouble. They gave him some of their strange clothes and food, wishing him well on his quest.

Now here he was, on a deep forest path and his thoughts occupied. So far he had seen no evidence that he was anywhere near where they had been with the Gypsies. Something about this place felt quite different... it almost felt like home. He could feel something in the planet like Alchemy, but it wasn't the same.

It reminded him almost too much of home, though he knew it wasn't. On his direction less journey he watched people working in the fields or riding their carriages and horses. It was less developed from his home so far as he could tell.

Regardless of where he was, however, he knew his only priority was to find Al. The white fire had taken him somewhere. And something told Ed that the fire wanted him to know, wanted him to see his brother being taken... wanted Ed to follow.

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

"Vash?"

The tall blonde man looked up from the empty plate in front of him. The miller's daughter had served well as something to look at in his three days here in their small house. She wasn't very tall, and her long brown hair seemed constantly silky no matter the amount of housework she did. And she didn't seem to mind his advances, and in fact ignored them as often as she could.

She took his plate. "You seem preoccupied," she said. "Have you already grown bored of this place? I do admit our village is dull."

"Not at all," he said, giving her a bright smile.

She smiled. "Good. Now please wander outside for a while, I must sweep the floor."

Vash gave her a friendly wave before walking out to the door into the pleasantly balmy outdoors. A few children waved from their playing spot down the grassy hill.

It was strange, fitting into a place so easily... certainly a feeling to get used to. No one in this place had ever heard of Vash the Stampede. No one was hunting him, no bounty on his head... towns didn't empty when they spotted him. He was regarded as nothing more than a friendly stranger. Only the miller and his family knew where he'd come from. Well... that wasn't true either. All they knew is how he arrived.

The miller had been on the road heading back to town after a successful day in the city. From what he told Vash, a strange rain had begun to fall. It had been mild, and he was almost home, so seeking shelter seemed a fool's idea. He had trudged on when suddenly he spotted something far ahead on the side of the rode.

The miller had dismounted his mule and ran up the road. Lying on the grass, motionless, had been Vash. He had been naked and the sight of his scars had stunned the miller. He quickly put his coat around Vash, though the man was much short so it didn't do much good. He managed to wake Vash up enough to slowly make his way to the cart, where he immediately fell asleep again.

Once back at the miller's house, Vash was bathed and clothed. He woke a few hours later, warm and hungry.

Ever since that night, he'd been treated as a traveling relative might've been. They provided clothes and food and they made sure he was comfortable and happy. Better yet, as far as he could tell, no one in the village was at all suspicious of him. Perhaps the miller had told them he was family, or an old friend visiting.

Vash wandered the village with a smile stuck on his face. Maybe this is what Heaven is like.

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

_Toto_, Elisa Maza thought to herself as she rode in the carriage alongside singing minstrels. _We're definitely not in Manhattan anymore._

At least the traveling circus, as she'd given to calling them, was kind enough to provide her with clothes and a ride. She was adorned in a dress far more colorful than was to her liking... she reminded herself of a Fae with all the purples, reds, golds and greens mixed in a tapestry of color that made her look as if she was dancing even when she was completely still.

She wondered briefly what Goliath might of thought of her dress. It was, after all, cut rather low on the shoulders and flattered her figure well enough. But thinking of Goliath brought a pang of fear and guilt though she was certain the events of three nights ago was not her fault. Not even Demona could have been blamed, although the gargoyle had been there with them that night and had been taken as they were.

But though the memory of that night burned in her mind, the image of the full moon swirling and everything going bright, the picture of Goliath being pulled away from her... it seemed more like a dream than anything. She clung desperately to that night. She would not let herself be fooled that it was her imagination, that this strange world was a product of some deep sleep. This was real, she truly was in some strange new world, and she needed to find Goliath before Demona did.

"Madame Elisa," said one of the thin, bronze-skinned minstrels. His smile was far too large for his bony face. "Forgive me for saying so, but you have the form of a dancer. You should join our performance tonight in the village."

Elisa gave a short laugh and waved her hand smoothly. "Believe me, no can do," she said. "I've got two left feet."

The minstrels all stared at her. The thin one gaped. "What a peculiar trait!" he said breathlessly. "Well I suppose if it can not be helped. But please feel free to sit by and clap in time with our music... we would welcome you in our festivities. Your beauty will surely capture the wandering eye of the village men."

Elisa smiled. "Thanks," she said. "I'll see what I can do."

They seemed satisfied enough with this answer and continued rehearsing some ballad in a language Elisa couldn't identify. She sighed quietly to herself and gazed out behind the wagon at the small clouds of dust they created and the few wagons trailing behind them. Some of the gypsies, or whatever they all were, were walking beside the horses. The children often scampered out off the road and into the woods to gather flowers or strange looking plants. They would then give the bounty to the women, who would smile and pat them on the head. _Maybe they're used for herbs_, Elisa though. It reminded her of her father in a way.

She heard the faint sound of cheering from the wagons in front. A young girl peered around the canvas to gaze towards the front of the caravan. She looked back at the other occupants of the wagon and grinned, her white teeth contrasting nicely to her dark skin. "The village is near," she said.

Elisa breathed a sigh of relief. Soon she'd be out of this wagon and able to walk around on solid ground without the constant rickety jumbling that had made her teeth go numb. She'd tried a number of times to walk along the wagons as some of the Gypsies did, but they wouldn't allow it. After all, they'd found her unconscious and unclothed near a water hole in the middle of nowhere. They feared for her health and told her she must rest.

Almost the entire caravan was singing now, though all different songs so she couldn't keep track of the notes. But nevertheless, they made her smile.

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

Edward could hear a strange noise as he walked his thin path. It sounded like a multitude of happy voices singing. He stopped and tried to strain his ears, but the words were unclear. Frowning, he continued to walk as the sounds remained a steady noise, growing no quieter or louder as he walked. Ed sighed... perhaps he really _had_ gone mad.

He glanced ahead and froze for only a moment. He could see a village in the distance. Given that he'd run out of food a day ago, his stomach pushed him eagerly towards the small town.

_Well_, he thought._ I could use some food... and maybe they'll know something about Al... no one else has._

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

Vash was sitting on the stump of a tree eating some strange but pleasant fruit one of the old village women had offered him when he first heard the children running up towards the village, cheering. He blinked.

"What's happening?" he asked a little girl who was dancing around.

"The Gypsies are here!" she said, clapping her hands.

"They come every year," said a lower, softer voice. Vash turned to see a tall woman with her small son standing by her. "They dance and sing for us, and tell stories of their travels. The children love them, and we must admit it's nice to have a little change around here."

Vash hummed thoughtfully as he stood and followed the squealing children as they pointed out the traveling train of wagons heading slowly up the road to the village. Most of the caravan was concealed by the forest, but as the trees grew scarce and disappeared into the meadows and fields the wagons were exposed. He could faintly see dancers beating on their tambourines and frolicking around the caravan. Even the horses looked festive with their glittering head dresses and fancy saddles.

"Aren't they wonderful?" said a different little girl, her freckled face pinched with a smile too big for her face.

As the caravan drew closer, Vash could see they were indeed not from the same area. Unlike the pale people of the village, the Gypsies were dark-skinned with lush dark hair adorned with jewels and silks.

"Mmn," said Vash in response. The girl seemed to accept this as an agreement, for she clapped her hands and watched in rapt anticipation as the caravan made its slow way up the hill.

After a few moments of watching, he turned and headed back to the miller's house. Something about the Gypsies puzzled him, as if they were carrying something new and strange close to him. He wasn't sure if this made him uncomfortable or not, but it was certainly something.

The miller was waiting inside. His wife and daughter were nowhere to be seen. "Ah, Vash," he said. "I see you're fit enough to enjoy the village. I hope you'll be as energetic tonight."

"The Gypsies?" Vash asked, sitting down across from the miller.

The stout man gave a short nod as he spread some sort of paste on his bread and took a bite. "They've been coming here since I was a boy, each time with something new to sing or tell. It's like a dream, only you're awake and some one else is controlling it."

Something stirred in Vash when he said this and he shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable. The miller didn't seem to notice.

"I hope you'll join us tonight, Vash," the man said. "There will be more dancing and joy tonight than you'll ever experience in this little town."

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

Elisa couldn't help but be rather enamored by the night sky, naked to the eye and unaffected by the lights of Manhattan. She couldn't stop staring, and remembering her traveling with Goliath, Angela and Bronx. Had it already been three years? _I suppose it has_, she thought. She felt a deep emotion in her chest, perhaps sadness. This world would have been something beautiful if it wasn't for the fact that Goliath could be in danger and she had no idea where he was.

Perhaps her expression was easy to read, as it wasn't long before an old Gypsy woman in red approached her. "Thinking of love, are we?" she asked in a croak.

Elisa nearly started. She smiled awkwardly and sighed. "I guess I am."

"We've all been there," the woman said, following Elisa's gaze to the stars. "So many stories up there. Perhaps yours can be someday... or mine. There's no way of telling."

"Right now, I'm hardly concerned with being legendary," said Elisa. "I'm on a mission, and I intend to beat the odds and get out of here."

The woman regarded Elisa curiously for a moment, and smiled. "Sounds legendary enough," she said, and walked off to join the group singing nearby.

Elisa stared after the old woman for a while and tightened the thin shawl around her shoulders. The Gypsy caravan had parked hours before and had begun their dancing, stories and singing. The town seemed to love them. Children stayed up all hours, dancing with them and laughing, seeming to never run out of energy.

She stood out a little ways from the crowds. It was darker, but not much quieter here. She sighed and sat down on the hill, returning her attention to the sky.

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

Ed made his way through the crowds of Gypsies and townsfolk. He had to keep his eyes at least a little downcast, for every dark-skinned dancer reminded him of Rose or Noah. The flare of colored skirts danced in the corner of his eye and laughter tickled his mind. At one point one the Gypsy girls tried to grab his hand to pull him into a dance, but she pulled back with a puzzled look on her face a mere second later. A twinge of bitterness hit Ed, as he knew she probably felt how hard and cold his hand was.

He shouldered his way through a thick crowd of dancers to a tavern. Perhaps there would be some calmer travelers inside who would know something of Al.

How mistaken he was. Ed walked in to be greeted by loud, raucous laughter from every inch of the room. Something was either in the water or every person there had been drinking since noon. Men were dancing on tables, some passed out snoring on the floor, some flirting with the waitresses. Ed felt his face grow hot, feeling their embarrassment for them since they were far past the point where it was possible to do so themselves.

He carefully made his way towards the bar, feeling his increasing annoyance at the smell of the room... alcohol mixed with sweat. He resisted the urge to pinch his nose shut as he sat at the bar.

"I think you're probably a little young to be in here, son," said the tavern keeper, a frown on his square face.

"I'm an adult," Ed said rather snappishly.

"Are you?" the man blinked rapidly. "You're a little short."

Ed slapped his hands on the counter and opened his mouth to shout a retort about the inappropriate use of the name 'bean' relating to him, but something caught his eye.

He turned to see a very tall man in the corner who was significantly louder than most of the patrons. He was waving his long arms about, a mug of ale in both hands. His cheeks were blushing deeply from the alcohol and his spiked blonde hair swung with him as he titled his head back in forth to a severely off-tune song he was singing. The men around him were laughing and clapping along with the song, all of them on a different beat.

Something about the man held Ed's attention.

"Who is that?" Ed asked the tavern keeper without removing his eyes from the stranger.

"Vash," said the man. "He's not a local. He arrived three days ago with the miller, who'd been out of town. He's a relative or something, the details are a little fuzzy. He's a bit odd if you ask, but most foreigners are."

_Three days._ Ed felt a slight chill in his veins. _Al..._

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

Elisa was jolted from her reverie by a hand on her shoulder. She whirled around, tensing up and nearly on her feet before she stopped and relaxed. "Can I help you?" she asked.

The woman looked unfamiliar. She may have been with them in the caravan, for she looked like she might've fit in, though her clothing was different. She had milky dark skin and long dark hair loose down her shoulders. Her dress was simple and modest, colored in dark reds and greens. Her eyes were large and serious, the color Elisa couldn't discern, and she carried a tall walking stick.

"Elisa," said the woman. "That is your name, is it not?"

Elisa stood to her full height, which was a little shorter than the woman. "Yes."

"I am Setsuna," the woman said. "You and I are here under very similar circumstances."

Elisa's heart skipped and she tensed again. "Who are you?"

Setsuna smiled mirthlessly. "I spoke my name once," she said. "I do not believe it necessary to repeat it." She glanced around her. "There are others. We must gather together... our enemy is aware of our presence. If we are to recover our lost ones, we must hurry."

"Our lost ones..." Elisa repeated. Slowly she realized this woman must indeed be like her, for she hadn't told anyone of her search for Goliath, not even hinted. "What's going on here?"

"I will explain as much as I can," said the tall woman. "But for now we must find the others. I believe they are in the tavern. Let's go, Detective."

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

It took a moment before the laughing men even noticed Ed standing there, his face as frozen as stone. It took the tall man, Vash, even longer. When his clapping companions fell silent, his song followed shortly afterwards. He opened his eyes and blinked rapidly, squinting at Ed.

"Vash?" Ed asked.

The man smiled brightly. "A new friend!" he said, reaching over and slapping Ed on the shoulder. Ed faltered and grabbed the table to keep from falling. The men laughed and raised their mugs in welcome.

"I'm not here to drink, idiot!" Ed said, abandoning his cool demeanor. "I need to talk to you!" There was an uncomfortably quiet pause. Even some of the other tables paused in their drunken festivities to stare. Ed stood and squared his shoulders. "You arrived here three days ago."

Vash's face straightened and his cheeks paled away from their inebriated blush. He very suddenly looked quite sober. "Yes," he said flatly, his expression unreadable.

"You're the same as me, aren't you?" Ed asked, staring evenly at the man, trying to discern the man's thoughts to no avail. "This isn't your world, is it Vash?"

The man closed his eyes in thought for a moment, then very suddenly stood up. He towered over Ed and Ed couldn't help but feel a small twinge of irritation at then. But the, he towered over everyone.

Before Vash could say a word, the door to the tavern swung open again and two women stepped inside. Ed turned to look. They both looked as if they could have been with the traveling Gypsies, but something was odd about them too. The taller woman was dressed in dark clothes, quite unlike the festive colors the Gypsies adorned. The other woman looked very serious and the bright colored dress looked out of place on her.

The tall woman stared right at Ed and said something to the other. He felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle uncomfortably.

"Friends of yours?" Vash asked, and Ed could feel the same discomfort in his voice that Ed was feeling.

"I don't know."

The tall woman again locked her gaze on Ed. She made him the most uneasy. After a moment, she nodded her head to him as the two women turned and left the tavern.

Gradually the previous noise of the tavern erupted again. Ed stared after the women for a moment before he turned to look up at Vash. "We should follow," he said. "They might be like us."

Vash frowned at him, but closed his eyes and, with a helpless shrug, sighed. "Okay, okay," he said.

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

"How do you know they'll follow?" Elisa asked as they waited a fair distance from the tavern.

"The short one knew," said Setsuna with unshakable conviction. "He's quite acute, more so than he perhaps realizes. The tall one is confused, but perhaps susceptible enough to follow."

As the tavern doors opened, Elisa inclined her head towards it. "They're coming," she said, as the short one spotted them and pointed, shouting something she couldn't understand.

Setsuna, her eyes closed and a smile on her face, spoke, "Let's go then." She began to walk away towards the hills where she found Elisa.

"But I thought we wanted to speak with them," Elisa snapped, following close on behind the woman. "Why walk away now?"

"Would you prefer to discuss this in the presence of others, or would you rather we keep our mission to ourselves?" Setsuna asked. Elisa rightly didn't respond. "We are strangers in this world," the woman continued. "If they knew, they may not react kindly."

The dull roar of the dancing crowds soon faded as Setsuna and Elisa made their way down the hill into the fields. They continued until they were in the middle of a recently harvested wheat field. It was then that Setsuna stopped and stood motionless, waiting.

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

"Where did they go?" Ed nearly screamed in frustration, trying to jump up to see over the top of the crowd. "I can't see anything!"

Vash barely moved and merely looked around casually. "Ah, that way," he said with a bright smile, pointing to the outskirts of the town where the hills dropped into the fields. Ed stopped jumping and felt his neck and face grow hot as he whirled around to Vash.

"Don't call me short!" Ed snapped to a very puzzled Vash as he stomped away towards the hill, grumbling to himself as he went. It had certainly been a while since he'd made such a fuss about being short. Al, after all, had only grown a little taller than him. It had been much worse when Al was seven foot tall and constantly mistaken for the Fullmetal. But as this 'Vash' was close to the same height Al was, Ed was suddenly feeling as he had back then. Small, insignificant, and easily annoyed.

The hills seemed to drop very suddenly, though it was steep at all. Ed squinted and, with the help of the moonlight, could see the two women standing still in the fields.

"Ah-ha!" he said to Vash, pointing. "There they are!"

Vash scratched his head. "Why are we following them again?"

Ed scowled up at him. "Because they're strangers here just like us. You came out of nowhere three days ago, didn't you?" he said. "Let's go." He held his chin high and strolled down the hill as confidently as he could. Vash followed reluctantly.

0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0

Elisa remained quiet as the man and boy approached. Setsuna remained with her back to them initially, and Elisa wondered when she would turn and speak, as she was certain the woman was fully aware of them approaching.

"Oy!" the boy called out as they approached, his arms swinging too far out in an obvious attempt to appear far more manly than he should. The tall man said nothing.

Setsuna smiled and turned her head. "Welcome, Fullmetal," she said.

The boy stopped very suddenly, his arms dropping to his sides and his face growing white. His eyes widened and he was rendered speechless. Setsuna smiled at him then looked up to the tall man, whose expression was completely blank. "And the humanoid typhoon," she said to him. His eyebrows furrowed slightly and his lips turned down in a slight frown.

Setsuna turned to them. "Both arrived here three days ago, while in the company of some one close to you, the same as we were. We were all taken by the White, in whatever form it took," she said evenly, her expression hard. "Now here we all stand and gather in a world unfamiliar to each of us, some one close to us missing. Am I wrong?"

No one responded, but the expression on the boy's face softened and he seemed to be staring into nothing. The tall man's expression did not change, and in fact he almost looked even more scrutinizing.

Setsuna closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly. "I confess I do not know the identity of our enemy," she said, and her voice was strained. "Something is... uncharted about this world. It is as unfamiliar to me as it is to any of you. I can guide you as much as I can, but I know little more than you all."

"How do you know us?" The boy asked, his gaze focused more on the ground though Elisa knew he wasn't looking at anything.

"It is complicated," she said. "I would know more than your names, but even all of you come from places I know little to nothing of. And you know nothing of where I hail from." She held her chin high once again and stared straight at the boy she called Fullmetal. "I am called Meioh Setsuna by those who know me in my world. Though I am also called Sailor Pluto."

"Sailor Pluto?" The boy now looked her straight in the eye.

Setsuna gave a smooth nod. "It is much like Fullmetal," she said. "It is your name... but it isn't."

"Edward Elric," he said evenly. "I'm not the Fullmetal anymore."

"No?" Setsuna frowned. She looked up at Vash. "And you are not the humanoid typhoon, are you?"

Vash shook his head, but said nothing. Ed nodded up towards him. "His name is Vash."

"Vash," Setsuna said thoughtfully. "Mmn. It seems the information I had was not as accurate as I expected." She glanced at Elisa. "And you, Elisa Maza?"

"You got me right," Elisa said with a shrug. "Nothing much has changed in the last few years for me."

Setsuna stared at her for a moment before turning her attention to the two men. "I will not ask for you to reveal who your lost companion is," she said. "And I expect you will have the same respect. But though I know little of our enemy and this world we've been drawn to, I surmise that our companions have very likely been taken by one entity, and kept in one place. As we are alone in this world and unfamiliar with it, I suggest we would do better if we combined our abilities and knowledge."

No one spoke for quite a while, and each seemed to be lost in his or her own thoughts. Elisa could think of nothing but Goliath and the way he was pulled from her that night. _The White_... that's what Setsuna had called it. Elisa felt almost sick when she thought about what kind of power could have pulled them all from different worlds, different dimensions, and pulled them all into this one.

Edward looked up and squared his shoulders. "Agreed," he said, his jaw tight.

Elisa nodded in agreement. Setsuna looked up at Vash evenly. "Vash?" she asked.

The tall man closed his eyes for a moment with no response, Finally he nodded slightly, but still said nothing.

"Then it is settled," Setsuna said, her grip on her walking stick tightening slightly. "Do not concern yourselves with traveling needs. I suspected we would gather soon so I have spent these three days gathering supplies enough to last us a while. Let us not waste time. I have spoken to a few people and it seems that our best beginning point would be the nearest City."

"Wait!" Vash suddenly said. They all looked at him and his solemn expression. "Can I not... say goodbye?"

Setsuna regarded him coolly. "We should not waste any time, Vash," she said. "It has been a mere three days. I know this may seem a friendly place, but do not worry. You will forget it in time." Turning her back to him she began down towards the woods. Elisa frowned over at Vash, who looked torn but followed anyway.

At the corner of the forest, Elisa stopped for only a moment. It was so brief that none of the others noticed, but she glanced up into the trees, a sudden chill at the nape of her neck. Though she saw nothing in the pale light from the moon, she couldn't help but swear to herself that something was watching.

_Quit being paranoid_, she told herself, following directly behind Setsuna and only a bit in front of the boys.

But the feeling didn't leave her for the rest of the night. Sometime near dawn, they stopped in a small thicket to rest. Elisa had a hard time sleeping, and every time she dreamed she saw nothing but Goliath and the White.


End file.
